Radio unit reconfiguration

Abstract

A super-regenerative transceiver that has an antenna interface for an antenna is self-tuned with a self-tuning unit configured. The self-tuning unit makes the transceiver to repeatedly perform a self-tuning cycle until the amplitude meets a predetermined detection condition or a predetermined criterion is met. The self-tuning cycle involves the following: transmitting to the antenna a probe signal with one or more pulses; receiving from the antenna a ringing detection signal; determining if the ringing detection signal reflects tails of the probe signal with amplitude meeting a predetermined detection condition; and adjusting of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver if the amplitude does not meet the predetermined detection condition.

1. An apparatus comprising:
 a super-regenerative transceiver; 
 an antenna interface configured to connect the super-regenerative transceiver with an antenna; 
 a self-tuning unit configured to cause a self-tuning cycle to: 
 
       transmit to the antenna a probe signal with one or more pulses; 
       receive from the antenna a ringing detection signal; 
       determine if the ringing detection signal reflects tails of the probe signal with amplitude meeting a predetermined detection condition; and 
       cause an adjustment of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver if the amplitude does not meet the predetermined detection condition; and
 repeat the self-tuning cycle until the amplitude meets the predetermined detection condition or a predetermined criterion is met. 
 
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criterion is selected from a group consisting of: having performed a predetermined maximum number of self-tuning cycles; having spent a predetermined maximum time to perform self-tuning cycles; and having estimated that further self-tuning cycles would not likely result in the amplitude meeting the predetermined condition. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection condition refers to not exceeding a predetermined threshold amplitude. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the detection condition refers to an amplitude that meets a relative condition. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the self-tuning unit is configured to the self-tuning cycles with two or more different time offsets between transmission and reception periods configured by respective quench signals. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver comprises adaptment of impedance matching between super-regenerative transceiver and the antenna. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver comprises adjustment of fine-tuning of center frequency of the super-regenerative transceiver. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver comprises adjustment of the tuning of the antenna. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver comprises adjustment of the amplitude of transmission quench signal currents. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver comprises adjustment of the shape of transmission quench signal waveforms. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further configured to transmit a probe signal and to receive the ringing detection signal such that the transmission and reception of pulses occurs substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
       12. A method in a super-regenerative transceiver, the method comprising:
 performing in the super-regenerative transceiver a self-tuning cycle comprising: 
 
       transmitting to an antenna a probe signal with one or more pulses; 
       receiving from the antenna a ringing detection signal; 
       determining if the ringing detection signal reflects tails of the probe signal with amplitude meeting a predetermined detection condition; and 
       causing adjusting of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver if the amplitude does not meet the predetermined detection condition; and
 repeating the self-tuning cycle until the amplitude meets the predetermined detection condition or a predetermined criterion is met. 
 
     
     
       13. A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined criterion is selected from a group consisting of: having performed a predetermined maximum number of self-tuning cycles; having spent a predetermined maximum time to perform self-tuning cycles; and having estimated that further self-tuning cycles would not likely result in the amplitude not exceeding the predetermined threshold amplitude. 
     
     
       14. A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the determination if the ringing detection signal reflects tails of the probe signal with amplitude meeting the predetermined detection condition comprises averaging measured amplitudes over a number of pulses of the probe signal. 
     
     
       15. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver comprises at least one of: adapting impedance matching between super-regenerative transceiver and the antenna, fine-tuning of center frequency of the super-regenerative transceiver, adjusting the tuning of the antenna, adjusting the amplitude of transmission quench signal currents, and adjusting the shape of transmission quench signal waveforms. 
     
     
       16. A computer program product configured to control a super-regenerative transceiver, the computer program product comprising a computer executable program code recorded on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to cause the super-regenerative transceiver, when executed, to:
 perform in the super-regenerative transceiver a self-tuning cycle comprising: 
 
       transmitting to an antenna a probe signal with one or more pulses; 
       receiving from the antenna a ringing detection signal; 
       determining if the ringing detection signal reflects tails of the probe signal with amplitude meeting a predetermined detection condition; 
       causing adjusting of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver if the amplitude does not meet the predetermined detection condition; and
 repeat the self-tuning cycle until the amplitude meets the predetermined detection condition or a predetermined criterion is met. 
 
     
     
       17. A computer program product according to  claim 16 , wherein the predetermined criterion is selected from a group consisting of: having performed a predetermined maximum number of self-tuning cycles; having spent a predetermined maximum time to perform self-tuning cycles; and having estimated that further self-tuning cycles would not likely result in the amplitude not exceeding the predetermined threshold amplitude. 
     
     
       18. A computer program product according to  claim 16 , wherein the computer executable code configured to cause the super-regenerative transceiver to perform determination if the ringing detection signal reflects tails of the probe signal with amplitude meeting the predetermined detection condition comprises averaging measured amplitudes over a number of pulses of the probe signal. 
     
     
       19. A computer program product according to  claim 16 , wherein the computer executable code configured to cause the super-regenerative transceiver to perform adjusting of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver comprises at least one of: adapting impedance matching between super-regenerative transceiver and the antenna, fine-tuning of center frequency of the super-regenerative transceiver, adjusting the tuning of the antenna, adjusting the amplitude of transmission quench signal currents, and adjusting the shape of transmission quench signal waveforms.